A vehicle lamp socket assembly may include a locking feature such as a locking tab and a compressible element configured for “push and turn” assembly of the lamp socket into a lamp housing opening configured to receive the socket. The lamp housing opening typically includes an unlocking feature such as a radial slot with a profile corresponding to the locking tab of the socket, and insertion of the socket into the housing opening requires alignment of the locking tab of the socket with the unlocking feature of the housing opening. In a typical assembly or installation sequence, the locking tab of the socket assembly is inserted through the housing opening with the locking tab aligned with the unlocking feature and with sufficient insertion force to compress the compressible element against the housing while rotating the socket axially in the opening until the locking tab no longer aligns with the unlocking feature and is in a position of interfering contact with the housing, e.g., until the socket is in a locked position. The compressive element, which may be configured, for example, as an o-ring or similar, provides a compressive force to retain the locking tab in contact with the lamp housing and in the locked position during operation of the lamp assembly.
The lamp socket may be removed from the lamp housing for vehicle maintenance such as a bulb replacement, by pushing the lamp socket into the housing with sufficient force to compress the compressible element to reduce the interfering contact with the housing, while rotating the socket until the locking tab is aligned with the unlocking feature of the opening, e.g., until the socket is in an unlocked position, then withdrawing the socket from the housing through the housing opening.
Installation of the socket to the housing and/or removal of the socket from the housing may typically be performed manually due to limited access resultant from packaging of the housing in the vehicle to ensure alignment and locking of the socket to the housing, and/or to prevent damage to the socket connector, socket terminals or wiring from contact or strain during installation or removal. Manual installation and/or removal of the lamp socket requires manual pinching, aligning and twisting finger motions to apply sufficient insertion and compression force and to rotate the socket with sufficient torque to lock and unlock the locking tab, which may be ergonomically challenging in some vehicle or lamp assembly configurations and assembly situations.